Remote data acquisition system

• US 6,006,615 A
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dairysense LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael Joseph Uttinger
• Inventors: Uttinger, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US09/011,431
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 73/865.8, 73/149, 73/296, 73/866, 374/101, 374/102, 374/142, 374/143, 119/14.17, 119/14.19, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.09, 340/870.16, 340/870.17
• US Class Current: 73/866
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/007 Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 9/00 Milk receptacles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a remote data acquisition system including a sensor included into a storage device, the sensor capable of sensing at least one parameter of the material stored in the storage device, the remote data acquisition system also including transmission means associated with the sensor capable of outputting the information sensed by the sensor, or a data storage device to store the information sensed.

Claims

1. A remote data acquisition system including a sensor included into a milk vat, the sensor capable of sensing the temperature of milk stored within the milk vat, the remote data acquisition system also including transmission means associated with the sensor capable of outputting the information sensed by the sensor, and a data storage device to store the information sensed, the remote data acquisition system also including a processing means capable of compiling a temperature profile from data stored in the data storage device, wherein the temperature profile provides an indication of the quality of milk stored within the milk vat.

2. A remote data acquisition system as claimed in claim 1 which includes an alarm system activated by the occurrence of a pre-determined temperature value of the stored milk.

3. A remote data acquisition system as claimed in claim 1 which incorporates an identification system.

4. A method of allocating the type of processing accorded to milk collected from a milk vat wherein the milk vat incorporates at least one sensor capable of reading the temperature of milk held within the milk vat, characterised by the steps of

a) outputting temperature information sensed from the sensor to a central processing station,

b) using the output temperature information to co-ordinate the processing accorded to milk within the milk vat, and

c) processing information collected by the sensor to provide a temperature profile of the milk within the milk vat,

wherein the temperature profile provides an indication of the quality of milk stored within the milk vat.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein an automatic dial facility is used to output the temperature information to a central processing station.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the central processing station has the ability to use the temperature information it receives to make decisions how the milk will be processed.